Hand-wheel.



H. W. DOVER.

HAND WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. s, 1912 1,101,417, K Patented June 23,1914h 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Figi H. W. DOVER.

HAND WHEEL.

1,1 01,41 7. 8'1912' Patented June 23, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Horace WaHerD p;

OFFICE HORACE WALTER DOVER, OF N ORTHAMPTON, ENG-LAND.

HAND-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 8, 1912. Serial No. 730,167.

To all whom it. may concern:

vcars and the like, which are built up of a peripheral rim, a central hub, and intervening arms; and it has for its object to enable a set of arms, initially independent, to be assembled in such manner as to in- ;terlock with one another and with tlierim and be so held, by means of bolts, screws or rivets serving to fxthem to the hub, as to firmly support the rimconcentrically with the hub.

A further object of the invention is to securely attach the outer ends of said arms to the rim by means which permit Vcf the rim itself being made in an economical manner, and at the same time enable the stresses to which the wheel is subjected to be etticiently resisted.

The several arms, which are preferably duplicates of one another, have each an outer end adapted for interlocking engagement with the rim, and an inner end adapted to besuperposed upon a surface of the hub (preferably extending at right angles to the axis of the wheel) and to be secured thereto by bolts, screws or rivets(hereinafter referred to as bolts); the inner ends ofthe arms being so shaped as to interlock one with another and prevent mutual displacement inl the plane of rotation, while each may be apertured to give passage to a boltserving on the one hand to hold the arm positively to the hub and on the other hand, iny conjunction with a cover-plate which overlies the inner ends of all the arms and conceals the joints whereat they mutually interlock, to assist in clamping one of the adjacent arms to the hub.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan vien7 of part of one form of steering hand-wheel made in accordance with this invention, parts being removed or shown in section for the sake of clearness. Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. l, showing a modification of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line M, Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are a plan and side elevation respectively of a detail. l In the construction shown in Figs. l and 2, the hub a is formed integrally with or secured to the end of the shaft whereon the wheel is to be mounted, and is provided with a central (and usually circular) boss b servmg when the arms c are being assembled, to acilitate and determine the centering and correct positioning of the several arms. The arms c are constituted by stampings from sheet metal, and are so bent as to be adapted to retain the rim Z out of the plane of the hub a. Each arm c is so formed at its inner end or root as to fit snugly, throughout part of its Width as at e around the central boss b; the root of the arm having at one side of its radial center-line a segmental projection f which reaches to about the center of width of the adjacent arm, where the projection is apertured to give passage to the `fixing bolt g, While at the other side of the radial center-line the root of the arm is voided or cut away to accommodate the lateral projection f of the vadjacent armA c at that side.

Displacement of the arm c in the plane of rotation is prevented, as regards movement in one direction, by contact of the segmental lateral projection f with the boss b on the hub a and also by the fixing bolt g itself (which acts as a fulcrum to the lever represented by the arm), and as regards movement in the opposite direction, by the fact of the lateral projection f being held between the boss b on the hub and the contigu- Patented June 23., ,1914.

oils -part of the root of the adjacent arm c at that side; a heel z, on this root preferably interlocking, for the sake of greater security, with a recess provided in the lateral projection f of the adjacent arm, or vice versa. The inner ends of the several arms c are held down tothe hub a by a cover plate j riveted or otherwise secured to the boss a.

The outer end of each arm c, which may be T-shaped or splayed out laterally at both sides as at 7:, is tongued centrally as at m so as'to fit into a slot provided at the inner side of the wheel rim d, while the pair of lateral shoulders c on the arm bear against the rim Z at the outer ends' of the slot.

If desired, the out-er ends of each arm may be bifurcated forming a pair of tongues so as toit into a pair of slots provided at the inner' sidel of the rim d, the ends of the arm in the notch between the pair of tongues bearing against a solid piece left in the rim between the slots.

The rim d is made of metal, tubular in form, and it is thickened at its inner side as at n, so as to provide the strength and rigidity necessary in view of the strains to which the rim is subjected, more articularly at the points of attachment of) the arms. For this purpose the tube composing the rim is constructed of outer and inner annular members 0 and p, each of U-shaped or approximately half-round section, united at the circumferentially extending joints where the edges of the respective members meet.;

the outer member 0 being of comparatively light section whereas the inner member p is thickened as at f/z toward the center of its width.

Each member may beformed from a strip of sheet metal rolled from the flat to the required configuration; the stripl constituting the inner member y; being thicker toward the center of its width and tapering toward the edges. The slots (already referred to) for the attachment of the arms c may be formed either before or after the strip is bent to shape.

The edges of the member 79 are stepped inwardly to form circumferential seatings for the edges of the outer member o in order that the outer surface of the rim may be Hush at each joint. It is preferred to provide a circumferential groove g at the outer periphery of the rim, so as to enable an outer coating r of protective material such as Celluloid, exonite or like material to interlock securely with' the metal framework of the rim.

The ends of the rolled strip .constituting each member o and p of' the rim l are preferably jointed together (to insure continuity of the annulus) by acetylene welding or otherwise, and the two members may be united by welding or soldering at the circumferential joints between them. As, however, the members can not be separated once the inner member p has been completed and t-he outer member 0 has been lapped about the inner member p and its own ends joined together, welding 0r soldering of the ycrcumferential joints may be in some cases dispensed with.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 3 to 6 of the accompanying drawings, the inner ends of the arms c are secured to the lhub a, ,as hereinbefore set forth, while the outer ends of the arms ,are secured to the rim insuch manner as to like. material in the form of a spirallywound length or strip having a plain edge and a projecting and overlapping edge forming a continuous spiral corrugation on the outside, while at the same time the wheel is adapted to eiiiciently resist the stresses to which it is subjected. To this end a plate carrying a lug or lugs is secured at one end by riveting or the like inside the inner channeled member of the rim which is perforated t0 allow of the lug or lugs project- Iing therethrough, while said plate and channeled member are also perforated to permit of the engagement therewith of the projections from the outer end of the intervening arms to be secured, thus permitting the use of a thinmetal rim while at the same time the arms are attached thereto in such manner as to efficiently resist stresses in the plane of rotation and also stresses normal or substantially normal to said lane.

The outer end of each arm 0 1s provided toward either side with a pair offingers s and at the center with a linger 8 1 projecting therefrom, the angles between the fingers s and said outer end being rounded as at t for a purpose to be hereinafter explained. The rim d is built up from two channeled members 0 and p and a stiifening band u, said channeled members 0 and p being `secured by seaming their vedges over the edges of the stiffening band u, as shown, and the outer end of each arm kc is held by a plate u riveted at one end by a rivet or:- rivets w inside .the inner member p of the rim and carrying a pair of lugs m spaced apart and projecting through an aperture in the member p, the fingers s projecting through apertures in said member and apertures y in the plate u while the 'finger s1 projects between the lugs and through the central aperture in the rim member p, and the outer end of the arm c is riveted o1' screwed as at e between the lugs m. In order that the plate e may t closely against the inner surface of the member p, it is preferably set back as shown in Fig. 6, and a second piece of metal folded therearound to form the lugs saidsecond piece of metal lying within the set back portion of the plate e. v

In making the steering hand-wheel illustrated in Figs. 3 to 6, the 'plate o is first riveted by the rivet w to the inner member p of the rim in such manner that the lugs normally project through the aperture therein but may be temporarily pressed back therethrough, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, owing to the springiness of the plate o; the stifening band u and outer member 0 of the rim are then secured in position and the rim is incased in Celluloid, eXonite or like material 2 in the form of a length or strip which is spirally wound around said rim, said strip having a plain edge and a projecting and overlapping edge forming a continuous spiral corrugation en the outside.

. fact that the lugsw may be pressed back into The adjacent edges of the strip abut closely at the inner periphery of the rim a gap being left at the outer periphery, which gap 1s covered by the projecting and overlapping edge. The edges of the strip are united by a suitable cement or solvent for the celluloid, exonit'e or like material. Owing to the the body of the rim they present no obstacle to' the continuous winding of the strip 2 which is of such width that after it has been wound on the rim and secured an aperture may be cut therethrough without severing the lengthpthereof in order to permit of the lugs springing out into the required position and consequently to permit of the finger said arms to be more securely fixed than would be the case if their outer ends were tobear against the celluloid or like covering only. The inner ends of the arms c aref then secured to the hub a, by the cover plate j and rivets or bolts as herelnbefore set forth. In this manner the arms c are securely fixed to a rim constructed and covered in an economical manner, that is to say, although the rim body is made of thinsheet metal only, yet the use of the platese, lugs fingers s and s1 enables the outer ends of they arms to be attached to the rim in such manner as to efficiently resist, not only the stresses in the plane -of rotation, but also the stresses normal or substantially nomal to said plane which tend to pull the ends of the arms out of the rim, and which are liable to be set up when the steering hand-wheel of a motor car is gripped and incidentally pulled upward when driving the car.

Inlthe event of its being required to mount" upon the wheel shown in Figs. land 2, or Figs. 3 to 6, the usualquadrant fittings, for such purposes as the control of the car, the arms c, which are formed of stampings which are in all respects identical with one another, may have screwed, riveted or other- Wise fixed to them, suitable -bosses (not shown) adapted to carry the fittings iny lquestion.

When,'as above set forth, the arms are used in connection with steering wheels for motor cars, wherein the rim of the wheel consists of a metal body covered with a protective layer of Celluloid, exonite or like material, the arms, hub, and cover-plate may also, if desired, be covered with a protective layer of similar material, or if desired, some of such parts maybe made of polished brass and other parts coated with the protective layer.

Claimsl. A wheel comprising a rim, a central hub having a boss thereon, a plurality of separate arms intervening between said rim and said hub, the outer end of each of said arms being adapted for interlocking engagement with said rim, while the inner end of each of said arms is shaped and adapted to fit snugly throughout part of its width around said boss, each arm having at its inner end a segmental portion constitut-ing a lateral projection extending at one side of the radial center line of the arm to about the center of Width of the adjacent arm, the inner end of each arm being cut away at the other side of the radial Vcenter line and adapted to accommodate the lateral projection ofthe adjacent arm at that side.

2. A wheel comprising a rim constructed of an outer and an inner channeled member, ahub, a plurality of separate arms intervening between said rim and said hub, a plate secured at one end inside said inner channeled .member of the rim and having Va lug thereon, said inner channeled member being perforated and said lug being adapted to project through said inner channeled member, said plate and said inner channeled member being also perforated, each of said intervening arms having projections on the outer end thereof, said projections being adapted to project through said perforated inner channeled member and said perforated plate.

3. A wheel comprising a rim, a central hub having a boss thereon, a plurality of separate arms intervening between said rim and said hub, the outer end of each of said arms being adapted for interlocking engagement with .said rim, While the inner end of each of said arms is shaped and adapted to fit snugly throughout part of its Width around said boss,each arm having at its inner end la segmental portion constituting a lateral projection extending at one side of the radial center line of the arm to about the center of width of the adjacent arm, the inner end of each arm being cut away at the other side of the radial center line and adapted to accommodate the lateral projection of the adjacent arm at that side', the inner end of each arm having a heel en that side of the center line `thereof opposite to the lateral projection, each of said lateral projections being recessed to accommodate the heel on the adjacent arm.

4. A wheel comprising a rim, a central hub having a boss thereon, arcover plate on said hub, a plurality of bolts adapted to secure said cover plate to said hub, a plurality of separate arms intervening between said rim and said hub, theouter end of each of said arms-being adapted for interlocking alsv engagement with said rim, While the inner end of each of said arms is shaped and adapted to fit snugly throughout part of its Width around said boss and adapted to be clamped between said hub and said cover plate, each arm having at its inner end an apertured segmental portion through Which one of said bolts passes and Which constitutes a lateral projection extending at one side of its radial center line to about the center of fwidth of the adjacent arm, the n'- ner end lof each arm being out away at the other side4 of the radial center line and adapted to accommodate the lateral projection of the adjacent arm at that side.

5. A Wheel comprising a rim constructed .of an outer and an inner channeled member, a hub, a plurality of separate arms intervening between said rim and said hub, a plate secured at one end inside said inner channeled member of the rim, said plate having lugs thereon, said inner channeled member being perforated and said lugs being adapted to project through said inner channeled member, said plate and said inyner channeled member beting also perforated, each of said intervening arms having a pair of fingers projecting from the outer end thereof, the angles between said fingers and the end of the arm being rounded, said 'lingers being adapted to project through HORACE WALTER DOVER.

Witnesses: v

GEORGE ERNEST MINTERN, BERTRAM BEW.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

